Lloyds Tsb Division One Preview

Leaders Pontypool begin the second half of the season looking for the double over Bonymaen on Saturday as they visit the lofty Parc View ground.

Bonymaen have run the top clubs close, but cannot get a win over any and will be looking to reverse that trend, but face the Lloyds TSB League's top scorer in the former Wales cap Byron Hayward.

Aberavon face a difficult trip to Bedwas, where they well be run close, but they do have a former Wales international Matthew Back returning from injury and fly half Jamie Davies requiring just five points to be the fifth Wizard to score 1,000 points or more for the club.

Carmarthen Quins face what seems to be the easiest task of the top four clubs when they entertain Beddau, who are totally out of form. Hooker Euros Evans and flanker Stuart Jenkins will have late fitness tests for the Quins.

Whitland provide the opposition for the lively young Llandovery side, who are without their high-scoring full back Stuart Harries and fly half Neil Clapham has moved back to the last line of defence with Gareth Jones being the pivot.

Tredegar are home and not away to Tondu as their opening match of the season had to be switched. They face a Tondu side brimming with confidence after a 44-3 thrashing of Whitland last week at Pandy Park.

Blackwood and Llanharan are likely to be well matched with Dan Sinclair, a New Zealander, in the Blackwood threequarters and Llanharan possibly without their influential skipper, Colin Malone.

The bottom clubs have a chance of home victories as Rumney take on Glamorgan Wanderers in a derby match at Riverside Park and Treorchy entertain Cross Keys, who have the former Zebra Movete Oto'ota in their lineup.

Newbridge are always tough to beat on the Welfare Ground and visitors Narberth have completely lost the plot over the last two months after earlier topping the table. Paul Collett, the Newbridge wing, is on Welsh Sevens duty, but the golden boot of Jason Williams is available with Gareth Turner and Neil McKim likely to be the wings chosen.

Actor and Millennium Stadium Tour Guide Gareth Bale has been performing his one-man play about Wales rugby legend Ray Gravell across Wales. He chats to WRU TV before taking his show to the Edinburgh Festival.

After widespread consultation, the WRU has made major changes to its pathway programme for girls rugby with a spring and summer season being introduced with immediate effect in order to respond to a clear demand to play the game.

Martyn Phillips addresses the press after being unveiled as the Welsh Rugby Union's new group chief executive. Phillips, who is originally from Fishguard, will work alongside WRU Chairman Gareth Davies, to lead and manage the strategic and operational development and evolution of the governing body at a time of rapid change within the game and will take up his new role at the WRU in the autumn.

The Webb Ellis Cup visited Lampeter on Monday to recognise the fact that the town is celebrating a major milestone as it is believed the first ever game of rugby played in Wales, was in fact played in Lampeter 150 years ago.